A window lock and its use for a single hung, double hung, or sliding window or the like is known. Typically, a cam-lock and its housing are centrally attached to a framing part of a moveable inner window sash and the cam-lock is moved by a handle into and out of engagement with a slot or keeper disposed with an outer frame part or window sash. In order to tilt the window away from the frame a separate operator accessible tilt latch is required adjacent each end of the free end of a pivoting window. These latches are moved into and out of engagement with the track to permit tilting of the window and include spring biased plungers which normally engage in the tracks and which are retractable by the user by the operation of a separate operator engaged with the plunger.
Past structures for a tilt latch include a plunger having a nose portion which typically engages the track of the window assembly. The ability of the latch to wind loads can depend on the depth to which the nose portion extends into the track. The only portion available to stop the nose from releasing from the track under for example higher wind loads is the actual track profile itself which depending on the thickness of the vinyl utilized, could result in the inadvertent release of the nose portion and hence the tilt latch resulting in potential damage to the window assembly. In order to address this problem, our prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,857 teaches in FIGS. 13 and 13C an adjustable block assembly which includes a portion (202) to receive the nose portion (251). In our prior patent the adjustable block system is incorporated with a central locking system and is utilized to reinforce the latch portion (251) in the triangular shaped detent of the block. Since the adjustable block is fixed to the frame any force tending to unlatch the nose portion of the latch (251) will be passed on to the frame instead of to the vinyl track. However, such an installation is quite costly and does not find application generically within various window assemblies. It would therefore be advantageous to provide such a block mechanism for incorporation in simpler structures while providing an improved reinforcing for the latch and particularly for the combination cam lock/tilt latch of the present invention.
It is also known in the art to provide various forms of simplified latches. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,631 attempts to combine a cam lock with a tilt latch but it is required that a separate latching portion be included within the sash framing part which renders the construction difficult to implement universally.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,291 teaches a flush mounted tilt latch for a window which includes a finger operator (74) to operate a plunger portion (47).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,907 teaches a lock and tilt latch combination which may be double acting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,667 teaches a tilt latch for a sliding window which is simple but which may not be reliable in terms of its locking capacity. This is true also for U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,510.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,304 teaches a latching assembly including a rack and pinion member operated by a user accessible handle and including a tab (58) to operate said latch.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,286 also includes a tilt latch which is simple and which may also be toggled as seen in FIG. 2 therein.
Nowhere in the prior art is there provided a simple combined cam lock/tilt latch which is surfaced mounted, and which may be utilized with any window construction.
It is also known to provide security systems in combination with window assemblies. Examples of such systems are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,164,705 and 5,007,199 which includes a magnet (14) contained within a pivot shoe (70) which may slide in a track portion to and from the reed switch sensor (15) disposed within the alarm system (90) contained within the jam portion. The alarm system therefore is pre-installed in the window and may be sold as original equipment or on replacement windows. Further U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,404 teaches a hinge having two leafs with a magnet (22) disposed in one leaf and the read switch (26) disposed in the other leaf with the security system being alarmed when the hinges are located proximate one another, and with the hinge being installable within any door, being pre-wired and thereby being adaptable to security systems.
It would therefore be advantageous to include with a tilt latch reinforcing block for a track for a single hung, double hung, sliding or tilt and slide window the necessary receiver portions of a security system fixed in position in relation to a tilt latch nose portion carrying the transmitter. Alternatively it is heretofore unknown to have the transmitter and receiver for a security system integrated with a camlock and keeper or slot of a latch assembly.
It is also known to provide a tilt latch for an outside sash member for a window assembly. It is also known that the outside sash member can only be tilted inwardly for cleaning because of the window framing section on the exterior of the building it is not possible for the outside sash to pivot outwardly. When the inside sash therefore is in it's lock position, wind loads are passed from the outside sash to the inside sash relying on the locking mechanism and the tilt latch assembly for whatever resistance it may provide to the wind load. Many of the latch systems utilized on the outside window sash are excessive and it would be advantageous to simplify such a latch to a one piece latch system with accomplishes all the necessary objectives for an outside sash latch while simplifying the expense of manufacture and installation.
It is also known within the industry to provide a clamping pivot shoe as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,014 to Mr. Shaul Goldenberg, one of the inventors of this present invention. As best seen in FIGS. 14, 19, 22, and 22B of U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,014 a clamping system requires that flanges that extend laterally or vertically from the track be provided in the window assembly with these track flanges riding at all times within the gap (130) between the two clamping surfaces (P2 and P3). These clamping surfaces P2 and P3 therefore do not carry the laterally extending flanges but there is a manufacturing clearance made available in order for the clamping assembly to move freely in the track when it is free to do so, and for the clamping to take effect only when the operator for example, handle (140) is moved to a horizontal position as seen in FIG. 20 in that particular patent. As seen in FIG. 22A such a system is preferably embodied between two pivot shoes (100 and 500) which are interconnected by interconnecting portion (520). Although such a system works very well, it may be uneconomical for many window producers because of the stiff competition found in the market place. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a clamping system which has most of the advantages of those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,014 to Mr. Goldenberg while reducing the cost of such a system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to combine a cam lock and tilt latch into one assembly which will much simplify present known structures and provide broader application in window assemblies.
A primary object of this invention is to provide a combination camlock/tilt latch assembly which much simplifies prior known structures and which is surface mounted to any window assembly where appropriate.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a latch reinforcing block which may be utilized with a tilt latch, and preferably the combination camlock/tilt latch, in order in improve the reinforcement of the latch and its ability to resist wind loads at a higher wind pressure.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide such a latch reinforcing block which includes at least one latching position and which further incorporates components of a security system so that the security system may be alarmed at both a locked and at a latched position.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a cam lock/tilt latch combination which provides for hyperextension of long nose portion at the locked position which nose portion extends well into the track or alternatively within the reinforcing block to further improve the reinforcement of the latch assembly.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide alarm components within the hardware of a window assembly including the latch reinforcing block and the cam lock/tilt latch combination and the keeper, slot or the like to enable a security system to be pre-wired into a pre-assembled original or replacement window assembly.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple one piece outside sash latching mechanism which is inexpensive compact.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a quick locking pivot shoe which clamps against the track sections prior to the free end of the pivoting window sash leaving the frame section of the window assembly.
Further and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.